PCEC releases statement on AUA's new prostate cancer clinical practice guidelines

The Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), a national organization committed to men's health and a leader in prostate cancer early detection, released the following statement in response to new clinical practice guideline released today by the American Urological Association (AUA). The statement is attributed to PCEC Chairman E. David Crawford, MD, PCEC President Wendy Poage and PCEC Council Member Nelson Stone.

"PCEC applauds the American Urological Association for its diligent work on their new prostate cancer clinical practice guidelines announced today and its recognition that, as medicine continues to evolve, so must the protocols for the disease. We look forward to continuing the discussion around the best practices for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Guidelines, such as the AUA's, are an excellent starting place for men and their physicians. It is important to realize, however, that the landscape of prostate cancer early detection is changing rapidly, with a variety of new biomarkers currently available to better enhance the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer. Therefore, screening for prostate cancer is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. PCEC's goal remains to educate men and their healthcare practitioners about prostate cancer testing and new developments, such as biomarkers, so that together they can develop a personalized plan for appropriate follow up after a baseline test. PCEC is also dedicated to ensuring that men are educated about their options for testing particularly given that many are either without health insurance or under insured, which is why PCEC holds its annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

Our hope is that men will understand that knowledge is power, and that by knowing more about their prostate health, they will be able to make better and more informed choices about screening and, if necessary, the diagnosis and treatment of prostate conditions."

Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. Prostate cancer can be an aggressive disease that is most successfully treated when it is detected early on.  Each year, the PCEC holds Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, dedicated to offering free or low-cost screenings for more than 125,000 men across the U.S. and internationally. Since the first PCAW in 1989, the program has helped to screen nearly five million men in the U.S., and this number continues to grow each year both at home and internationally.

PCEC at the AUA

• PCEC will be holding an Industry Clinical Update presentation at the AUA Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 7^th at 10 am entitled, "Understanding How New Biomarkers Will Assist the Diagnosis and Prognosis for Prostate Cancer."  The presentation will be led by David Crawford , M.D., Chairman, PCEC and Neal D. Shore , M.D., PCEC Council Member.
• Nelson Stone , MD, on behalf of the PCEC, will be making a podium presentation entitled "Male Androgen Deficiency (MAD) Screening Questionnaire: A Simplified Tool to Identify Hypogonadal Men" on Monday, May 6^th at 3:30 pm (SDCC: Room 3, Sexual Function/Dysfunction/Andrology: Evaluation (II)).
• PCEC will be hosting a Men's Health Education and Testing event for physicians at the AUA.  Physicians may receive a men's health blood test that includes Testosterone, Cholesterol and Glucose along with a new prostate cancer biomarker called the prostate health index (phi).